Top 10 West Virginia Mountaineers in the First Round of the NFL Draft
By Ken Durbin
9. Anthony Becht- 27th to New York Jets, 2000
Dec 4, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Anthony Becht (88) before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
WVU’s talented tight end was selected in the late first round by then Jets coach Al Groh. The Jets acquired the 27th pick in the draft from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (oddly enough, Becht’s second team in the NFL).
Becht was by no means an exceptional tight end, but he was certainly a solid and consistent starter for much of his career. After spending five seasons in New York, unable to supplant Kyle Brady at the tight end spot, Becht moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While in Tampa, Becht saw his productivity drop off, ultimately becoming replaced by the lesser known Alex Smith, the tight end. After four years in Tampa, Becht would bounce around the league until calling it quits in 2011 with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Still, Becht was a first round pick for the Mountaineers, the first of the new millennium.